Noodles &
Fish: The Perfect Recipe

by
Andrew Buss

On
the frozen
waters of Northeast Indiana, there’s a quiet buzz getting
louder. It’s putting ice anglers in a trance causing them to
follow others around in a stupor of what they’re witnessing:
the noodle rod. Jack Cook, creator of King Noodler noodle rods,
explains, “Every year, on multiple occasions, I have people
following me around the lake trying to figure out what I’m
doing.”

He’s
not the only one either, a trio of friends from Angola,
Heath Wagner, Brad Jones, and Leonard Myers (shown here with his
grandchild and a mess of proof), who use King Noodler rods
extensively, experience the same phenomena. Wagner relates,
“I can’t tell you how many times we have gone out
on the ice to find others struggling to catch 1-3 fish and we end up
with 50 or more.

Many
end up following
us around. It sounds like a fish
story, but truly happens nearly every time we’re
out.”

When
they were first using the noodle rod, Myers & Cook recall
a time on Lake James when there were nearly a 100 people on the ice and
all but they, were struggling. People began following them around and
encroaching on their space. The 2 then decided to split up and head
opposite directions to deter them. To their surprise though, the
anglers split up as well and followed them individually. The crowd is
now something they’re accustomed to.

King
Noodler rods by Cook are made with fiberglass. 30 years ago, when
he first began making his own, he used graphite, but learned that
fiberglass “is more sensitive and… lasts
longer.” He describes the rod as an
“ultra,ultra-lite pole with especially slow
action.” There are 2 models: an 18-20 inch and a 30 inch
model. Both have their advantages. The shorter rod is stiffer,
therefore less affected by windy conditions. However, a longer rod
will generally detect bites more efficiently and gives the bait better
action. An advantage Cook’s rods have over other noodle rods
are his eyes and tips. He uses light wire claiming it balances the rod
more effectively. Heavy wire will ruin the action.

Myers
was turned onto the noodle rod by Cook and in turn taught Wagner
and Jones how to use it. In fact, Myers helped Cook fine-tune the rod
to what it is today. Together they mastered the art of sanding down
blanks with belt sanders. Myers recalls, “30 years ago, we
bought some noodle rods from Dancing Bear Bait Shop and (Cook) had a
lot of success. I struggled. Finally, he showed me how to use it the
right way. I caught tons! With time though, they wore out and we needed
new ones, but the bait shop was out of business. We worked on sanding
down the blanks of other rods until we came up with something
equivalent.” Cook continued to make and sell the rods. In
recent years word of his craftsmanship has traveled and the interest
has intensified.

These
anglers use a noodle rod everywhere they go; in either shallow or
deep water and target all species of panfish. They’ve had
sacks of fish in excess of 100 in a single outing. Jones claims,
“We routinely clean over 100 fish an outing.”
Wagner claims the noodle rod will “outperform all other ice
fishing tactics 99% of the time.” Their success with the
noodle rod is so amazing, Myers actually walks around the ice with
extra rods to sell to the onlookers. Myers also recounts a trip just
last February to Southern Indiana when his group of 5 caught over 1800
bluegill & redear in just 6 days. Every fish was caught on a
King Noodler.

Like
all fishing, technique with the noodle rod can vary, but these
anglers use a similar approach and make adjustments according to the
bite. Here’s how they do it: begin by dropping your jig to
the bottom and work its way up to and past the fish. Wagner tries to
illustrate, “As you start to raise your jig past the fish you
have to ever so slowly (and I stress that), pulse your rod up and down.
I raise my rod an inch or two every second.” Jones urges that
you must develop a cadence with the rod tip – a pulsing
action. “If you have the cadence down, any variation is a
fish. Set the hook!” He adds that, “Bluegills, in
particular, like to follow baits up until they can’t take it
any more and bite.” They all agree that an angler should
experiment with retrieves if this does not work, as they have all
experienced days when fish would only bite a sharper hop, faster
retrieve, or deadsticking. However, the retrieve elaborated, rarely
fails.

Although
this technique is easy to duplicate, the anglers still rely
heavily on electronics to locate fish. Wagner & Myers prefer
FL-20 Vexilar units while Jones uses a Lowrance M68 graph. But not only
do they locate fish with these units, they also watch their
jigs on
the unit as well. In fact, with both their jig and fish located on
screen, they can line the 2 up and easily coax the fish into biting, as
Wagner boasts, “90% of the time you can actually talk the
fish into biting.” Myers adds that, “You can watch
the fish to see if they are following (the bait) and you can move
through a lot of holes searching for active fish.”

All
3 anglers use their electronics differently. Once Jones figures out
the fish he’ll remove his unit claiming it can get in the way
or you could get stuck watching the unit and miss the bite, yet Wagner
will keep it in the hole 70% of the time. Myers will use his Vexilar
for the first 60-90 minutes until he determines the depth and location
of the fish, and turn it off. Myers also warns, “Sometimes
the fish will wrap themselves around the transducer and break your
line.”

Wind
can wreak havoc though as Myers explains, “Heavy winds
are the toughest condition that I encounter. All bites (with the noodle
rod) are by sight, not feel.” The wind will cause the rod tip
to “whip” making it, as Jones says,
“difficult to discern the bite.” However, there are
tricks an angler can apply to combat the wind. Begin by using a shorter
rod as they tend to be stiffer. Wagner adds, “Block the wind
with your back and hold the rod closer to your body.” Cook
suggests an angler use 2 jigs with a stiffer
rod when the wind is strong. That will apply more weight and pull the
line straighter.

The
most common reel used with noodle rods is standard slater reels.
Myers states that other options are available, but he chooses a 2.5
inch slater. Jones also uses the slater but is conscientious of the
weight: always choosing the lightest possible. Wagner admits you can
use a spinning reel, but recommends avoiding them. He cautions that
line guides frequently freeze up and will ultimately cost you fish.

The
line matched up with the rod is vitally important according to
Cook. All of these anglers use fluorocarbon line, as Jones adds,
“The line will take a lot of abuse on the side of the hole
and fluorocarbon is the best abrasion resistant line.”
However, Cook warns that a noodle rod will not work with line larger
than 2-pound test. “Line bigger than 2-pound test will cause
the line to float which absorbs the shock and ultimately kills the
action.”

Bait
selection is not as significant, but basic ice fishing principles
apply. In clear water, darker colored jigs are preferred, while the
opposite is true in dark water. All 3 anglers prefer size 12 or 14
hooks and are especially fond of moonglitter jigs. At times, these 3
will also experiment with hooks as small as size 18. The anglers will
also use ice flies with the same-sized hooks. At times, they will fish
2 jigs simultaneously. Myers suggests, “Use size 12 in deep
water and size 14 in shallow water. Also, use an ice fly 12 inches
above a size 12 hook.” All anglers tip their jigs with spikes.

It
may seem that these anglers drill a hole, drop their jig down, watch
the electronics, and catch fish with little effort, but the opposite is
true. Wagner expounds, “Before I ever drop the first line, I
will cut 20-30 holes in both shallow and deep water. Most days you will
not be able to stand over one hole and catch fish after fish out of it.
I normally will only fish a hole through one rotation of my technique
and then I simply pull out and move on.” A common
characteristic of these anglers is they are constantly on the move,
because they will not stand still for long hoping for fish to bite.
This is where the advantages of the electronics and drilling numerous
holes come into play.

With
a flimsy rod and nothing to reel the fish in, how does one bring
in a big bluegill in 20 foot of water? All 3 anglers use the same
technique; Wagner describes it best saying, “In water
shallower than 8 feet, a quick snap of the wrist and forearm will
simply pull the fish straight out of the water. In deeper water employ
a triangular method: Pull the rod over your head; then grab the line
while maintaining pressure on the fish; next take the tip of the rod
and bring it under the line you’re holding, use it to lift
the line further out to finish pulling the fish through the hole. If
the water is really deep you will need to repeat the process by
wrapping the line around your hand and rod tip as many times as it
takes.” Jones points out that by not reeling up any line, you
now know exactly how deep the fish are holding, but he warns,
“The thing to remember is to avoid stepping on your line
after unhooking the fish. This could damage your line.”

Noodle
rods can be purchased at bait shops in the Angola area. Big
D’s Bait & Tackle has been carrying them the past
year starting at a price as low as $30. When purchasing a rod, Cook
gives the following advice: “I always recommend the longer
model: they last longer. The shorter rods are a bit stiffer, which
helps in windy conditions, but after a few years of extensive use
(40-45 days per season) they may crack. Also, keep in mind that all
rods, short or long, are unique. Some have a stronger backbone than
others. Before purchasing, hold a few to determine which one feels best
to you.” Cook backs up his product as well, “Each
rod is custom tuned to my specs and tested by me before it goes up for
sale. They come with a free replacement guarantee for material
defects.”

Owner
of Big D’s, Derek Wyatt, recommends that interested
buyers plan on purchasing before the ice season begins due to demand,
“I have had requests for them since early September. They
sell like hotcakes once the season begins.”

These
Angola anglers are gaining a literal following on the ice and
they are not changing a thing. Myers offers a simple explanation:
“Noodle rods outperform all other rods at all times. I have
used these rods for 25 years and will never go back to bobber
fishing.” Jones adds, “If you’ve ever
seen a person watching their bobber for 15 minutes without any bites
only to notice his hook cleaned, it’s because of subtle
bites. With a noodle rod, you’ll catch those fish.”
Take the advice of these anglers and cash in on the Northeast Indiana
trance; purchase a noodle rod and fill your freezer today.

(Big D’s Bait &
Tackle is located at 2445 N. SR 127
Angola, IN 46703 and can be reached at 260-665-8414.)